The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-02-12
THE PENITENTIARY..
AT1oNcLosEs

THE1NyEsTIG ALTON CLOSES
: Yesterday With the Evidence OF super,a.
tendent Peck, Who Denies All tho
i Charges sofAiismnnugement of Of the IN.
stltutiou Made AGain,t Him. 4.
The last days session Of tho committee
investigating the management OF tho Pen.
itentlary closed tedious inquiry which
has developed very little Tor the longth Of
time expended by the committee. The
opening testimony was devoted to proving
that the drugs purchased by superintond.
ent Peck wero obtained ten per cent
cheaper than under former administra.
tions. The gentleman who testified to
this fact was Dr. T. R. Rogers, Of Mounds.
vile. Dr.. R. W. Hall, also OF Mounds.
vile, testified in regard to the punishment
OF convicts. He considered the bull rings
the most cruel method. He also said that
acars inflicted by the lash would not last
eight months. { This was in contradiction
Of the testimony given by convict J, G.
Roberts, who claimed that the scays he
showed on his back were tho result of n
whipping he received last June.1 The
witness further stated that fifty lashea
would not incapacitato q man for work.
de did not think that the effects of MN.
ishment by the shoo fly were iniuriouHI'
Ex-c!erk i. W. Brown being recalled
said that he thought the msnapement of
the prison could be improved by allowing
the Governor to appoint the Board oi
Directors, the Board to appoint the
Superintendent and the Superintendent
the guards. x
Or. g. W. Bruce testified that convict
John Fawcett died OF typhoid fever, and
that bis punishment had nothing to do
with 1t. r.eg
| 5sl A Conspiracy. W. i
W.B. Humphrey, the broom contractor,
said that he had been operating the fac.
tory there for ten years, and that during
that time he saw no cruel treatment Of
convicts on the part OF Superintendent
Peck. He said that Colonel Peck was
kind but firm. He related conversation
had with Assistant Superintendent VIII.
kinson IN which the latter said that he in
tended to 90 before the Board OF Directors
and advocate the restoration OF the strap
as means Of punishment, owing to the
lack Of discipline among the conyicts.
MIR. Humphrey in answer to question
on cross'exsmination eaidthat he believed
there was conspiracy among certain OIL
GERS OF the Penitentiary to destroy the ef-
tclency OF Superintendent Peck. He did
not consider the management OF Colonel
Peck as cruel and inhuman.
| Mr.. Charles A. Weaver, Whip contrac.
tor, thought Colonel Peck kind and hu-
name man. He said that the lack of dis.
cipline at the present time was owing to
the abolition Of the lash. He thought the
fear Of punishment was conducive to the
good conduct and discipline Of the prison
and was in favor Of the restoration Of the
lash. Mr.. ]. G. Bardell, partner Of M.
Weaver, concurred in his testimony,
UNDER A FORMER MANAGEMENT,
Two colored conyicts, Dennis Small.
wood and Charles Ross, were introduced
to prove that cruel punishment had been
inflicted under a former management OF
the institution. They we're both punish
ed in the bull-rings. The formers hand
was severely injured and had not been
yet healed, although the punishment was
was inflicted four years ago.
William Smith, q colored convict from
Martinsburg, testified that it was no
trouble for prisoner to got along with
Superintendent Peck If he obeyed the
rules. He said he had heard guard John
son cursing Superintendent Peck TO the
convicts.
George w. Rhome ind William Rev.
man, the latter United States prisoner,
testified that they had no fault to find
with the treatment they received at the
hands OF Superintendent Peck, and that
they had not witEessed or heard OF any
lnhuman treatment OF their fellow pris-
oners ut the hands OF Col. Peck.
James Ferguson, guard, stated thct he
thought the strap more humane method
Of puninhmcnt than the shoo fly, He
contradicted the testimony oi guard White.
who stated that convict johnson had re-.
ceived fifty lashes in the morning and
twenty-five in the afternoon.
F. A. Maxwell, foreman Of wagon shop
No 2, testified to Superintendent Peck .
humanity and fairness. He stated that on
one occasion come ofense had been COM
mitted which lay between two convicss,
but he could not be certain which wan the
guilty party. He reported the matter to
Colonel Peck who let both OF, preferrinp
to do 80 instead OF Furnishing an innocent
man. ~
A. W. Hamaker, foreman OF the black
smith shop testified to the lack of discip
line under the present rules laid down by
the Board OF Directors. He stated that
convict Henry Johnson who had testified
before the committee that he had been
punished in cruel manner, said to him day
before yesterday "thas be had 1t in for him
(Hamaker) that there would be trouble
soon and that someone would be killed.
Several other witnesses were called and
their testimony was all in favor Of Col.
Peck. .G.' .-,}..,5. -
! COL. PEcK ON THE STAND.
1t was Yearly 4 o'clock when superin-
tendent PECK took the stand in his own
defense. Although the Colonel was some
what prolix in giving his testimony 1t was |
evident that he made q favorable impres. |
slon on the committee. In relation to
charges OF cruel and inhuman treatment
to prisoners, he stated that the guards, !
contractors and foremen Of shops were
sworn never to report convicta under
their charge for any infraction Of the rules |
unless they were absolutely certain Of the |
ofense, and that where there was any
doubt the convict was to have the benefit
it.
As far as punishment OF convicts was
concerned he had no ill-will against any !
Of them. The Kicking jenny" superin-
tendont Peck said, was invented and con.
structed by Assistant Superintendent Will
kinson. NI'&s3 - q
Last May, Col. Peck stated, Wilkinson
and some OF the guards entered into a
conspiracy to throw discredit on his man
agement Of the institution. One guard
VA Was discharged for whipping his wife. and